“I learn teaching from teachers. I learn golf from golfers. I learn winning from coaches.” – Harvey Penick, Legendary Golf Teaching Pro
Whenever I am working with a prospective client who is unfamiliar with our services, I like to spend time making the distinction between a coach and a consultant. People have expectations around both of those words, and if our relationship is going to be productive, we have to be clear about coaching as opposed to consulting.
Business coaches function much like sports coaches. They are there with you in the trenches, meeting with you consistently to support you in creating results. The key concept there is that the client is creating the results. The coach’s job is to elicit ideas and actions that will move the client forward, and then provide the accountability to make sure the client delivers on his own intentions. The client is doing the work of the business, the coach is monitoring the progress and keeping the client focused on what needs to be done.
Consultants typically solve specific problems. They are hired as specialists to come in to a company and do the actual work to rectify situations that are not working. Consultants bring an expertise that may or may not be shared with the client. They are working from the past, that is, the consultant strives to fix a problem that was standing in the way of past performance. Once finished, they provide recommendations and leave the client to his own devices.
A coach is focused on future results, future thinking and future possibility. A good coach causes a shift in how the business owner perceives the future of the business and keeps the company moving toward the intended outcome. A coach is not an expert in the client’s line of work; a coach takes more of a generalized view of the business as a whole and its role in whole life of the client. At Possibilities Unlimited, we believe people go into business in order to enrich their lives. What often happens is the business becomes a ball and chain around the life of the owner, robbing him or her of the fulfillment they sought. We coach people to balance their business and their life so that business once again becomes a catalyst to fulfillment.
It’s also important to note that business coaches are not therapists or counselors. Therapists and counselors work on important issues embedded in the client’s past that stand in the way of them being able to function in the present. Business coaches stand firmly in the future, beckoning their clients to realize their full potential.
Does your business need a coach to keep you winning the game? Give us a call and we will help you design a future for your business that has you taking home the gold.
Are you ready to win?
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